Your Fairytale
by GF-221b
Summary: When Hanschen and Ernst get off a train and find themselves in the strange Kinkan Town, they are forced into a story Drosselmeyer might have had planned for them. Rated M for later chapters. COMPLETE.
1. Ready, Set, GO!

Chapter One: Ready, Set, GO!

_They weren't quite sure what had happened, but somehow Hanschen Rilow and Ersnt Röbel had ended up in a part of Germany (at least, they thought it was Germany, judging from all of the German names on the businesses) that had talking, anthropomorphic animals. They had already gotten accosted by a cat-man, and then flirted with by a female hippopotamus and her two bird companions, as well as a sloth and a goat. Then they had been almost eaten by something hidden under a cloak that looked suspiciously like a mountain lion (they couldn't really tell because it was under a cloak). So they just picked up their stuff and ran to the first place they spotted that didn't have any animals in the immediate vicinity, which happened to be the water mill building near the school._

_"Ack, Hanschen, how did this happen?" Ernst asked when they got to the door. "The train was supposed to take us to Berlin, not wherever the heck we are now?"_

_"Maybe this is some punishment from God," Hanschen mused. He looked up at the sky, shook his fist and yelled, "I DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO DESDEMONA! HONEST! I WAS JUST LOOKING!"_

_Ernst looked quite embarrassed. "Shut up, or someone will hear you!" Ernst definitely did not want to get almost-eaten again, thank you very much, and his father told him that if you did not want to be hunted, it was best to be quiet (Ernst only knew that because his father went hunting on occasion with the other fathers from their hometown, and hoped to take Ernst out with him someday; sadly, Ernst was not fond of the thought of going up into the mountains)._

_Suddenly, the door to the mill opened, and a green-haired boy emerged from within. "Do you two mind?" he interrogated grouchily. "We're trying to sleep."_

_"Sorry," Hanschen apologized. "We were just wondering if there was any room here. We ended up in your cute little town quite accidentally, and we need a place to stay until we can get our bearings straight."_

_The boy sighed. "Fine. There's two extra beds over there. I'll show you the way."_

_Hanschen and Ernst followed the boy inside. The mill looked simple, almost barren, but comfortable at the same time._

_There was a sound of someone stirring from within a bed, and another voice asked, "Fakir, what's going on? Who are those people?" The voice sounded timid, almost frightened._

_"It's nothing, Mytho, I'll be back in a second," the green-haired boy, now known as Fakir, replied._

_Ernst looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, and then his eyes landed on the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. Possibly even more beautiful than Hanschen. The boy had silvery-white hair, and amber-honey-colored eyes that Ernst wanted to drown in._

_"Hello there," the boy said. "Who are you?"_

_"I-I-I'm…Ernst," the brunette stuttered. "Are you…M-M-M-Mytho?"_

_The other boy nodded and smiled at him softly. "Nice to meet you," he replied. Ernst felt like he was melting and blushing like a fool all at once. If Hanschen hadn't pulled him back over to their section of the house, he might have turned into a puddle right there._

_This trip might not have been a totally horrible accident._

_**This chapter was written by a good friend. The rest is written by yours truly as a gift for said friend who, really, started it all.**  
_


	2. Wanna Be Your Hero

Chapter Two: Wanna Be Your Hero

It had only been two days since Hanschen and Ernst's arrival to the town. Hanschen had wanted to leave just as soon as possible, but Ernst hadn't wanted to leave just yet. Hanschen couldn't just leave the younger boy in a strange town with strange talking animals who could eat him, now could he?

So Hanschen was subjected to stay and protect Ernst. In the meantime, they were staying with Fakir and Mytho, at least until their school started back up in the fall.

"Ballet?" Ernst asked when Fakir told them this. "You dance ballet?" he asked, looking at the fair-haired roommate of Fakir.

Mytho nodded, "It's… nice…" Mytho said, without (much) emotion.

Fakir looked to Hanschen, since Ernst seemed so doe-eyed at that moment, "And you. Will you two need to be enrolled?"

"We'll be out of here by the end of the week, so no. We will have no chance to be subject to such… girlish teachings," Hanschen replied, keeping a careful eye on Ernst. Ernst failed to tell him that he wanted to stay right here, whether he had to be 'subjected' to these 'girlish teachings' or not.

So it happened that summer was fading quickly and fall was soon upon them. Fakir enrolled them anyway, getting a rehearsal for both in two weeks. In the meantime, they would have to practice. Ernst was a natural, Hanschen… was not. He was clumsy and stiff. "Better stick to choir," Fakir had told him.

* * *

One day, Ernst was in the attic. Mytho hadn't thought to tell him it was off limits to anyone but Fakir himself. Fakir wasn't home, though. He was at the school, scoping out rooms for Hanschen and Ernst. Hanschen soon got bored with how quiet and chivalrous Mytho was, patting a small bird he had saved from a cat's mouth (not Mr. Cat's, thank heavens), instead of having a conversation with Hanschen about the weather. So the blond-haired boy made his way up to the attic, where Ernst was reading a book and blushing.

"He's a prince," Ernst whispered, pointing to the book. A children's book called _The Prince and the Raven_. "He looks just like the boy from the story."

Hanschen scoffed, "No. No he doesn't. Why don't we just leave this place now? Fakir is an ass about my dancing, and we're probably missing loads of work back home!"

"Would you give this place a chance, Hanschen?" Ernst's small voice seemed on the bridge of hysteria, "I think I've found something here, Hanschen! If you want to leave, you go on ahead, but I think I've found something and I want to help!"

Hanschen bristled for a moment, looking like he was going to hit the smaller boy. But he calmed down some, and left Ernst to stew over his book.

"You did _what_?" Fakir asked when he got home.

Ernst whimpered slightly, "I was only curious, Fakir… That book… called to me."

Fakir hadn't the heart to slap the boy. He was a guest and… Fakir took the book from him and sat next to him in a huff. "This book… is Kinkan town's destiny. Mytho is the Prince—"

"I knew it," Ernst whispered, looking toward the door where Mytho lay, asleep.

"—And I am his Knight, doomed to… to be torn in half one day…" Fakir growled.

"And… the story ended with Princess Tutu… no real ending…" Ernst said, watching as the older teen stood up and threw the book on the younger boy's lap. Ersnt heard some paper's crinkle and thought he heard a murmured, "_Scheiße!_"

Ernst blinked, but looked back up at Fakir as he spoke again.

"Princess Tutu has appeared in Kinkan Town. And because of her, Mytho is guessing the plot of the story," Fakir replied. He looked toward Mytho's door, thinking about something, "Some say the author of that fairytale rewrote the entire story. That's not the original one. Someday… I want to find that original manuscript…"

Ernst listened to the older teen with awe. He must be afraid for his destiny. Sadly, there was nothing about Ernst or Hanschen in this newer manuscript, now pulled tightly to the brown-haired boy's chest.

* * *

"Hanschen…" Ernst whispered as the boy beside him breathed unnaturally. Ernst instantly knew he wasn't asleep.

"What."

"Now we have to stay. I know you were listening in on Fakir's and my conversation," Ernst answered calmly.

"_Scheiße_," Hanschen swore again. "So what? Why does all this signify that we have to stay?"

"Because Fakir needs help finding this other manuscript. There could be… complications. If this book is Kinkan's destiny… it could be this newer, _unfinished_ version, or it could be the _real_ destiny of Kinkan Town," Ernst said.

"And why would I want to help this strange town, Ernst," Hanschen said, turning his body so that they were now face to face, and Ernst wasn't just talking to the blond boy's back.

Ernst pouted his lips, "Because… because _I_ want to help them."


	3. A New Destiny

Chapter Three: A New Destiny

Hanschen was livid. He had to stay in his dorm until Fakir had time to meet him and give him lessons. He was terrible at dancing and… _dammit_, Ernst was beautiful. Not beautiful to warrant his 'graduation' to the class with Mytho and Rue in it, but close enough. And Hanschen hated the fact that everyone was away during the day. Oh, yeah, they would meet him when they got back and they would go for food and things (unless Rue had snatched Mytho for the day, much to Ernst's chagrin), but it really wasn't enough for the sulky blond boy.

The sulky blond boy, speaking of which, was pacing his room with a look that could murder even the smallest fly. It was three-thirty in the afternoon, and Ernst was supposed to be back by now!

Well, a few minutes later the aforementioned brunet entered, smiling at… _whatever_, and Hanschen saw Mytho and Fakir smile back and wave as they went down the hall and up the stairs to their room.

"You're late," a pissed-off Hanschen said.

Ernst's smile faded, "What _now_?" he replied. He seemed a little feistier than Hanschen had known him to be back home.

"School was out thirty-three minutes ago. I know it only takes five minutes to get back to this room, so what were you doing with the other twenty-eight minutes?" Hanschen asked.

"Fakir and I got to talking. Sometime tonight, he wants to give me something…" Ernst told him, slipping past the other and going to his side of the room.

He opened his drawer and began getting a proper outfit ready. Though he was just wearing the blue boy's uniform of the school, it was now after hours, and Ernst never liked uniforms in the first place.

"Why are you so good?" Hanschen asked.

Ernst looked at him, eyes now wide and that feisty interior gone. Or so he made it seem. "At ballet?"

"At everything! Ever since we came here you've gotten… better with people! It's not just dancing and stories you know. _I_ want a part in it!"

Ernst was taken aback. Hanschen was usually so… cool about things. But it had to be one of these days that he would bring himself into it. "I'm sorry, Hanschen. But you've been the one that's been so adamant about not being a part of it all…"

Hanschen really hated this situation, "Fine! If you're going to be that way, then I'm switching rooms with your… your _damned prince_," he bellowed.

He barged out of the room and across the hall, up some steps and down many labyrinth passages until he found the room where Fakir and Mytho resided. He knocked on the door and Fakir answered.

"What?" he asked, his face deadpanning.

"I want a room change. Me for Mytho," Hanschen replied, growling just a bit.

"Why?"

"Because Ernst seems to like him better than he likes me!" Hanschen replied.

Mytho's head seemed to perk up almost like a pair of cat ears, "He likes… me?" he asked.

Fakir glared down at Hanschen, "And you would rather room with me than your little boy toy, is that it?" he asked.

"I'd rather room with anyone else. Even Mr. Cat," Hanschen replied.

"Whatever," Fakir said, "Get your things, I'll have Mytho do the same thing."

* * *

In two hours, Mytho and Hanschen were completely switched and settling in their new dorms.

When night hit, Fakir made his way over to his old dorm mate's room with a long object sheathed in a leather case. He knocked quietly and Ernst opened the door. Mytho must have gone out that night. Come to think of it, he had a night rehearsal with Rue and the advanced class for that performance they were putting on soon for the beginner's class Ernst was in. Why Fakir wasn't there, the aforementioned boy didn't care (and he wasn't in it).

Fakir sighed, "Here's my sword," he said. "You're the Knight now, because you have the blade in your hands… make sure Mytho doesn't see this…"

"Why can't you keep it?" Ernst said, looking at the package like it would turn into a snake at any moment and eat him.

"I just told you, you idiot," Fakir barked, "Now hide it!"

Ernst sighed and slammed his foot down on a board. It jumped up like a vampire from a grave, and Ernst put it in the ground. Fakir raised an eyebrow in reply before he sashayed off back to his own room.


	4. Swan Princess

Chapter Four: Swan Princess

"New Student is good," Pique commented as she, Lillie and Duck warmed up before class. Duck had been getting better and better in class, thanks to Princess Tutu, but she wasn't as good as Rue, and it seemed like this new student, Ernst Robel, was surpassing her, even though he had been enrolled only a week before.

"Almost too good," Lillie added, her brain cogs leaping into sadism-mode, "I wonder if Duck and him will get into a dance-off to get into the advanced class…"

"And then, their rivalry will turn into a heated romance—" Pique started.

"—Which will soon die as Ernst leaves her and her unborn child to go back to his hometown!" Lillie finished.

Duck's face fell, "No. There is no romance. I love—"

"Mytho, I know," Pique said, her face deadpanning.

"Or do you love Rue?" Lillie asked, to twist the figurative screw in Duck's side.

Duck had been having relationship issues already. Over the few weeks she had been attending the ballet school, she had fallen in love with an emotionless prince, but had also fallen in love with her own love rival. She had also become Princess Tutu and most of the Prince's heart shards had been restored.

She knew about the story, and knew that Fakir was apart of it. But she had overheard Autor talking to Fakir about the hidden manuscript. The older manuscript, which might have been the _real_ story.

But her biggest problems, or her three biggest problems, were Rue, Mytho, and this new kid, Ernst. Not that she was in love with the latter. He was just screwing up her chances with Mytho. The way Mytho looked at him, those smiles. Mytho now had the heart-shard of devotion, so… it might be possible that Mytho wanted to be faithful to the black-haired boy and not her. Anything was possible in Kinkan Town.

* * *

Ernst was in a corner of the room, stretching by himself. Hanschen had his own private lessons (now fulltime) with Fakir, and Mytho was in the advanced class. Duck (pointed out as looking dangerously like Princess Tutu by Fakir. Mytho hadn't seen the woman in question before, ever) seemed to hate him, judging by how cold she looked at the black-haired boy.

Ernst was starting to hate going to classes because of how alone he felt. He wished Mytho would come to his class just once so he could have someone there. It wasn't fair that Rue got him all to herself in that advanced class. But Ernst kept everything to himself, climbing to the top of the class at breakneck speeds, much to Mr. Cat's pleasure.

"This is progress, children," he said to the class. "If you were a young lady, Ernst, I would ask you to MARRY ME…" he said, growling the last bit awkwardly in the aforementioned student's direction.

Ernst jumped a little, gracefully backing into Duck. She stopped herself from quacking and pushed Ernst forward into the bar.

"Sorry!" Ernst said, as Lillie and Pique scoffed a little and went to back their friend up.

Something clicked in Duck's brain. Her cold stare slowly warmed into a worried one, "No… no _I'm_ sorry, Ernst," she said, and went to the new boy, much to her bodyguards' chagrin.

_What…_ Ernst heard himself ask in his head.

Duck was suddenly staring off. Ernst followed the redhead's gaze and saw that the advanced class had entered. But Duck wasn't staring at Mytho. She was staring at Rue. "You… are no longer my rival," she said, looking down at Ernst. "I know I must help Mytho but…"

Mytho had planted his gaze on Ernst, and Ernst's cheeks were heating up as Duck finished her thoughts, "…but he seems happier with you. And whatever makes him happy… makes me happy," she finished. "Can we… be friends?"

Ernst blinked up at her. "You… loved Mytho?"

"Not as much as you do, I guess. Enough to… no. Nevermind. I think I love Rue more, though. Or I can love her more…"

"Please… not for me," Ernst replied.

"Not for you, Ernst. For Mytho _and_ you…" she replied, "Rue is just as good as Mytho in my mind. Don't worry about it."

Ernst was about to argue more, but Mr. Cat had clapped his hands and the students were sitting down for the advanced class's special performance. Mytho and Rue danced together wonderfully, but Rue seemed more intimate with Mytho than he was with her. The friction that caused seemed to make the raven-haired girl angry towards the end, when she played the death of the Swan Princess perfectly.

Ernst wished he was in Rue's place, being cradled with one hand supporting his back as the dying princess danced her last dance with her human prince…

All too soon the show was over, and the audience was clapping politely as the advanced class bowed low. From the rafters, Ernst saw Fakir and Hanschen just leaving. _They must have been watching the show, too_, Ernst thought.

Mytho caught his eye and smiled warmly at him, causing the young boy's cheeks to flush again. Class was over, apparently, so Mytho approached him, "Mr. Cat informs me that you'll be joining us on Monday," he said.

"_Was?_" Ernst asked, "I… wasn't informed of this…"

"You dance well. You should have had the confidence to know," Mr. Cat replied, coming up from behind him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ernst replied, looking at his feet.

"You will do well under the guidance of Rue and Mytho," Mr. Cat replied, putting a paw on each of his best student's shoulders from both classes.

"I will… sir," Ernst said, glancing up at Mytho shyly.

"Ernst!" Duck said, having overheard, "I'm so happy for you!" She promptly glomped the black-haired boy tightly to her. "We should go celebrate!"

"You're… friends seem to hate me, though," Ernst pointed out.

"They'll get over it," Duck replied, "Besides, Fakir and Hanschen would come. Mytho… how about you?"

Mytho smiled at the redhead, "That's a wonderful idea…"

"I'll leave you kids to it. It will be sad to not see you in this class anymore, Ernst… but to see you with the advanced students will be such a joy…" Mr. Cat said, tearing up. "Now go. Before I ask you to MARRY ME!"

And it only took five seconds and some heavy elbowing to keelhaul it out of that room…


	5. Your Wound

Chapter Five: Your Wound

Autor was slightly worried. About everyone, come to think of it. Though no longer infatuated with Rue, he was worried about her now that a new boy, Ernst, had come in and seemingly taken Mytho away from her. Not that either the Robel kid or the fangirl-proclaimed "Prince" had any idea about the obvious crushing between the two…

Anyway, Autor still cared about Rue, enough to push Duck over the edge to end the suffering and proclaim her love to the dark-haired ballerina.

"I can't, Autor!" Duck shouted, "I have to meet Ernst in an hour so we can discuss matters about Mytho. I have… a secret to confide in him…" Duck said.

For some odd reason, Autor was the only other person who knew about Princess Tutu. He was outside the story, as it were. But Ernst… he was in the story. His head was so submerged under the waters of the story that…

"You can't tell him about Princess Tutu," Autor hissed, taking her by the shoulder so he could breath his words into her ear.

"Not about _her_, Autor," the duck hissed. "Have you noticed that Hanschen and Fakir are acting weird lately?"

"Yeah… I see them in the library doing research together. They're always still there when I leave," Autor replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge if his nose as if in thought.

"Yes, ever since Hanschen got into my class, he's been stumbly in the morning, but still very intent on his dancing. He's gotten quite good," Duck mused. "But that's not the point. I think they're looking for that hidden manuscript…"

"They won't find it in _that_ library…" Autor replied bitterly, "I've been looking for it since my father told me about it. It's hidden itself well…"

"Hidden… itself?" Duck asked.

"I don't mean that in a magical way," Autor replied, "I'm just saying that… Drosselmeyer really didn't want anyone to find it. It's like… if we found it, then we'd try to fight it and… try to stop the story from happening…"

"Maybe… maybe it's hiding in plain sight, Autor," Duck said, crooking her head to the side. "Maybe the reason you haven't found it is because… it's hiding somewhere you've already looked…"

Autor thought about it for a second, "Perhaps you are right. I'll double check all the places I've looked… as for Hanschen and Fakir…"

"They're getting closer," Duck replied, smiling.

* * *

"Rue!" Duck called. It had been a few days since Autor had confided in Duck about what she should do (as well as her telling him to lay off Fakir and Hanschen), and she was right ready to tell Rue to lay off Mytho so he and Ernst could get closer.

_Now how to do this without telling her… about my feelings?_ She had asked herself. That was easy, so she boldly walked up to the dark-haired female and poked the girl on the sides of her stomach from behind, startling Rue into turning around. "Duck! What was that for?"

"Nothing, just wanted your attention is all," the redhead replied.

"You have it, Duck. By any chance, have you seen Mytho?" Rue asked.

Duck frowned, "No, but I wanted to warn you."

"About what?"

"About Mytho. You guys…" Duck bit her bottom lip quite cutely, "You guys can't be together."

Rue stared at Duck, and, though the redhead had a faint line of pink over her cheeks and nose, she stared boldly back into those dark eyes.

"And why is that?" Rue asked, a hint of a smile in her face. Her mouth never changed from its frown, though.

"Because… have you noticed how he looks at Ernst?"

Rue stared at Duck for a minute before she suddenly looked past the redhead to the path where Mytho could be. Duck's eyes never faltered from the other girl's eyes. Finally, Rue returned her gaze to the other's.

"Like he wants to spend the rest of his life with him? Yes," Rue answered bitterly.

"It could be a good thing. Don't you want Mytho to be happy?" Duck asked.

"Yes. But I want him to be happy with only _me_," Rue replied, stomping her foot a little into the ground and balling her fists a little like a spoiled brat.

"That's selfish, Rue," Duck said. She didn't mean to be as blunt as she was, but there was no turning back from the subject. "Mytho may not have all his emotions back, but it doesn't take an unfinished heart to see what he sees in Ernst. He's smart, talented, cute… There's something special about Ernst that Mytho sees."

"There could be something special about _me_ though," Rue said cryptically. "Can't you see? Mytho belongs to _me_ and no one else…"

"No. You can't claim him," Duck said, raising her voice just a little more.

"Because of that… that _thing_, that _Ernst?_"

"Rue, no! You could…" Here Duck's rather shrill shout become a soft whisper, "You could… you could belong to me. I could… _I_ could belong to you…"

Rue was silent as she stared at the blushing duck before her. The redhead was still staring almost furiously at the raven-haired ballerina. She was about to speak when there was a third voice shouting.

"Rue! Duck!"

The girls turned from their face-off to a bespectacled teen who looked like he had ran from the Music building to the Dance building. Which he probably had…

"What is it, Autor?" Duck asked, glad that she was saved by the bell, so to speak.

"Look!" Autor barked before keeling over to catch his breath and clutch his probably aching side. He wasn't a very… fit student.

Duck and Rue turned to where the brunet was pointing and saw Autor was pointing to Fakir and Hanschen, who were coming from the same direction Autor had (the library was a few kilometers away from the Music building, come to think of it), but they were slow and stumbly, as Duck had put it, kind of like zombies.

At one point, though, Hanschen bumped into Fakir, and Fakir clearly blushed as Hanschen stayed there, fitting like a puzzle piece into Fakir's back, his hands resting dangerously low on the other's backside. "Wake up, idiot," Fakir said, nudging the other awake as he covered his burning cheeks with one hand.

Rue and Duck turned to each other, and then looked back at Autor. They watched the two boys go into the Ballet building in the reflection of Autor's glasses, so they saw the male's eyes flick to each of them.

"Another couple of yours?" Rue asked, as if she blamed the Music student for Duck's confession and of Mytho's interest in Ernst.

She turned, then, and stormed off. Duck wanted to go after of her, and was just about to, when she head the chime of the town's clock and remembered she had class too.

* * *

Duck was staring at Hanschen's back as she stretched for class. Lillie and Pique watched her and Lillie finally poked her in the side.

"What's up?" Pique asked, "You're more spacey today."

"New crush? You're a beast when it comes to crushes lately," Lillie added.

"No! I'm just worried about him. I… I saw him crash into Fakir on their way in today…" Duck confessed.

"Goodness!" Pique interjected. "That makes three couples that just need to get it through they're thick heads that its—"

"Love!" Lillie shouted, clasping her hands at the side of her head and swooning. Duck could sworn she saw hearts in the curly-haired blonde's eyes.

"Yes, exactly. I wish they'd all get their acts together all ready," Pique said, "You and Rue, Ernst and Mytho, and now Hanschen and Fakir…"

"Though… the tension is more entertaining!" Lillie put in, her voice going high-pitch, as it usually did.

"Why do you find it entertaining?" Duck asked suddenly.

Lillie paused in her blatant fangirling, "I don't know, but its fun!"

Duck sighed as she saw Mr. Cat enter the room.

The tension wasn't entertaining for her at all. It was stupid and painful and… a wound in all of their sides. That figurative screw was getting deeper and deeper for all of them.


	6. The Prince and the Raven

Chapter Six: The Prince and the Raven

Autor had searched the original house of Drosselmeyer six times since he was seven. He was fourteen now, an accomplished pianist and part-time historian and story analyst. He was used to failure by now, having failed those six times and many more as he searched every other place he could find that had any connection to the crazy old man. Nothing. A big, fat, steaming plate of nothing, to be exact.

"Nothing! A big, fat, steaming plate of nothing!" Autor shouted to the heavens as he leaned against a tree close to the Music Building.

A few of his classmates him threw him looks as they looked over their music for the big recital coming up. Autor didn't even bat an eyelash. He had searched the library and the house and some oddball cafes that the old man had frequented to clear his head (sometimes he wrote whole stories on napkins, oddly enough) everyday this week, and still nothing. Hanschen and Fakir were defiantly having no luck either, as they continued looking in that damned library. Not that Autor had even told them they were looking in the wrong spot, but still.

"Autor… are you okay?" Duck asked as she passed him.

"I've looked everywhere _again_ for that damned manuscript!" Auror hissed at the bark, as if it was the source of all his troubles (it was only the source for a reddening, brown, crusty bump on his head, which wasn't in the least attractive at all over the bespectacled teen).

"In plain sight? On his desk, perhaps?" Duck asked sweetly.

Autor glanced at her, "Why don't _you_ go look for it, _princess_?" he asked seethingly.

Duck looked around her with a paranoid aura, then pressed close to Autor, "Shut it, buddy," she hissed before saying, "I have faith in you, Autor. You know Drosselmeyer better than I do. So… please keep looking? I have a feeling Hanschen and Ernst appeared for a reason… for… the story," Duck continued, her voice once more sweet and slightly dumb.

Autor thought about it for a minute as Duck made a little bounce to get away from being so close to the dark-haired pianist. With revitalized energy (as most people got from the power of Princess Tutu), and his eye sparkling behind his glasses, Autor pushed past the little redheaded girl and made his way into town to the other side to look for the manuscript… again.

* * *

"_Sheise!_" Fakir cursed as he looked at the clock in the library.

Hanschen lifted his blonde head to look. Brown eyes blinked and tried to focus. The two older boys had been up all night, searching the mythology section again of the school library, just in case. "_Was?_" he asked, a slight whine gracing the suave undertones.

"If you're late again for class, Mr. Cat will have a conniption, and I do not want to be the best man at _that_ wedding," Fakir replied, trying to pull the other boy's weight up. Hanschen was heavy when he was groggy.

"Who says you'll be the best man?" Hanschen asked, not quite getting it.

"I just assumed," Fakir replied, "Get up, you wretch."

"Bite me," Hanschen replied, "What I wouldn't give for some coffee with… mmm… cream."

"For the love of God!" Fakir hissed, "We'll go to a café after this and I'll get you coffee with cream, just get up and get to class!"

Hanschen was a little more awake now. As the gears warmed up, he glanced at the dark-haired male and crooked his head the side, "Why do you care if I go to class or not?"

Fakir was now stuck. Why _did_ he care? He glanced over Hanschen, starting with his blonde hair, bright yellow even in the dark cavern-like feel of the attic Myth collection of the Kinkan Academy library, messy as hell, thanks to using a book as a pillow and not having a bath since God-knows-when. Hanschen's skin wasn't anything special but it had a milky quality, like the cream and milk products he seemed to enjoy. His uniform was rumpled, but the muscles seemed toned underneath. Fakir wouldn't have minded being caught in those well-toned arms—_STOP IT_. All in all, Hanschen was quite a catch… to any self-respecting girl in the academy.

Fakir felt his face flush and he looked away, "Because then all those private lessons would be for nothing. Besides, you deserve a more… human lover."

Hanschen would have retaliated, but he thought better than to lose his spot in the class over a petty argument involving a lot of teasing from Hanschen. He did, however, put his hand on Fakir's shoulder for a brief moment before leaving the dark-haired Knight to brood.

* * *

Autor strode into Drosselmeyer's house (now a museum) and looked over the room. Spotting a stack of papers on his desk, he went over, his curiosity piqued. On the cover was _The Prince and the Raven_: first edition.

"What the hell?" Autor asked, grabbing it.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Autor had assembled Rue, Duck, Ernst, Mytho, Fakir and Hanschen at a table that was big enough and secluded enough. The waitress had come by with Hanschen's promised _café au lait_ as well as three hot chocolates (for Duck, Ernst and Mytho) and three waters, (Autor, Fakir and Rue).

"_The Prince and the Raven:_ very first edition. By—"

"Just get on with it, Autor!" Fakir snapped.

"Right."

"_Once upon a time in the very mysterious Kinkan Town, there lived the Prince Siegfried. He was a kind-hearted prince, who loved his people and would do anything for them. Also in this mysterious little town lived the Prince's Knight, a brave young man with black hair. The Knight lived in the castle with the Prince, and was his soul companion. _

"_One day, the Prince and Knight were out in the town, visiting a sick child (because the Prince went out to his people, not the other way around). The child was a pretty-eyed boy of about nine, which was about the age the Prince was now. Upon looking at the little Peasant boy, the Prince felt a sting in his heart. This sting was the emotion of Love. _

_Over the next few years, the Prince's mind was consumed by this Peasant. Even when visiting the town and its people, he always looked around for the pretty-eyed boy. The Knight was very worried, but the Prince was the Prince, and not the Knight's son. The Knight could do nothing. _

_Soon the Peasant was old enough and at that age where he was searching for a bride. The Prince was the first in line to ask for the Peasant's hand in marriage. The Peasant was flattered, but he politely declined to take the hand of a yellow-haired farm-boy. Another sting appeared in the Prince's heart. This sting was called Jealousy._

_Soon those stings were the only things in the Prince's heart. Jealousy and Love battled constantly. It was painful to listen to the two feelings bicker. So painful, that they took form into something bigger than the Prince could handle. They burst out of his chest as two birds: a Raven and a Swan. The Swan was big, white, but very weak from the constant battle inside the Prince's heart. The Raven was big, black, and powerful._

_The Prince didn't like him. He took up his sword and tried to battle alongside the Swan, but he couldn't do it. He called for his Knight, but the raven quickly cut the Knight in half. But something happened. The familial bond between the Knight and the Prince was freed when the Knight died, transforming brilliantly into a white dove. The Dove and the Swan became consorts in that instant, but they were still too weak against the Raven. They were severely injured, and the Prince, not wanting to lose his Knight again, stabbed his own heart, shutting down all emotion there, including the Raven, the Swan, and even the Dove._"

Everyone glanced at each other, "So… Princess Tutu is Mytho's Love and this… Raven character is his jealousy for the Peasant, a pretty-eyed Ernst-clone and his bride, a Hanschen-esque farm boy. Oh, and the Knight actually lives on in spirit as one of the Prince's emotions," Autor analyzed.

"Very good, Autor," a voice said from behind them.

A very attractive woman in a tight fitting black tutu with a very, _very_ low collar (_How does her top stay on?_ The gang thought) smirked at them from her perch on a branch in the nearest tree. She looked sort of like… a raven.

"My name is Kraehe, and I am the emotion of Jealousy," she said.

Duck looked around for Rue. She wasn't around. _Crap._ The redheaded duck thought.


	7. Soul Sister

Chapter Seven: Soul Sister

Duck sighed, "We know you are Rue," she said quietly to the raven lady in front of her. "Rue isn't with us, and there is no where she could have gone while we were occupied with the original manuscript."

"Then try and stop me," Kraehe said, laughing before her malicious eyes bore into Duck, "_Princess Tutu_."

Duck flushed under her friends' scrutiny, "I… do not how I transform," Duck said.

"Rue transforms into me because of deep Jealousy. Mostly toward your little Peasant boy," Kraehe said, her voice soothing, but creepy enough to send shivers down even Fakir's back. "Perhaps, since Princess Tutu happens to be the Swan of the Prince's Love, any loving feelings transform you…"

_Why is she provoking me?_ Duck asked herself.

"Are you itching for a rematch now that the Prince has all of his emotions back?" Autor asked, a certain amount of challenge in his voice.

"Yes. We don't know where the story will go after the events in that little manuscript of yours. Since you know Rue is me, you must know that Princess Tutu is Duck… Autor… _you_ at least know…"

Fakir, Hanschen, and Ernst turned to Autor, but they had bigger things to deal with than Autor hiding things from them. For one thing, Duck had been staring longingly at Kraehe, willing her to turn back into Rue. As she was doing this, a strange light poured over her like a waterfall, and she slowly transformed into Princess Tutu, the likeness of an egg closing around her as the light poured in like water vapor, transforming her uniform into the white leotard and tutu, the ballet shoes, the crown… soon Duck was no longer Duck, but Princess Tutu.

To anyone else watching, they would see nothing but the likeness of a Swan, and the likeness of a Raven in a tree. Since talking animals were normal, this wouldn't set anyone off. But those that were part of the story could see the human figures, including Autor, who was knee-deep in the story now that he had read the original manuscript.

"There you are, Princess Tutu, how lovely to see you. You're only missing one thing… oh!" Kraehe crooned, "The Knight needs to be cut in half so your dove consort can come out to play…"

She made a move to cut the air that was in front of Fakir, but Mytho moved in front of him, and as soon as he did, another sparkling light started above him, and Fakir's sword appeared. Mytho caught it and readied to defend his friend, but Fakir stopped him. "No…" he said, "It's the only way Princess Tutu will become strong enough to fight your Jealousy. The Dove was the familial love the Knight had for the Prince. Add that to the romantic feelings for… for the Peasant and Love might just win," he said, "I… I have to do this."

"Fakir, are you sure?" Hanschen asked.

Fakir turned to him as Mytho handed him the sword, the thinking behind such a sacrifice sound in his mind. But then again, all of his emotions were back safe and sound thanks to Princess Tutu, save for Love and Jealousy themselves. "Anything to help Princess Tutu fight her battle."

"Such sacrifice…" Kraehe crooned, jumping down from the tree gracefully onto her feet like a cat.

Fakir lunged at her, but she jumped away, taking a defensive turn to make Fakir's defeat a little more bearable. If he thought he was winning, the defeat would be that much more unbearable for anyone. So it went, Kraehe took many blows, until she 'remembered' her magic, and with one swift move of her fingers, splayed them and black feather darts hit their mark, defeating Fakir in one splendid move.

He fell on his knees, the sword falling from his hands onto the cobblestones under him. He looked pale and tired all of the sudden, and he looked up at the black-clad woman with a eerily cheerful face, "A worthy opponent, _fraulein_."

"You're welcome, Sir Fakir," Kraehe replied, bowing.

As she did so, Fakir fell to one side, and Hanschen found himself crying out and trying desperately to get at Fakir. Princess Tutu herself stopped the blond boy from going forward, however. She glared at the Raven girl, "Leave us…" she said.

"But, darling Tutu, we must wait for the dove to appear from that battered human body, and then we must fight," Kraehe replied.

"I will not fight you now. Not when one of my friends is fallen and many of are distressed to see him go," Princess Tutu retorted angrily.

"In the story, the Swan would be—"

"In the story the Prince had to take out his heart to shut us up!" Princess Tutu spat back. At her anger, a speck of light landed on the sword near Fakir's knees. It spread over the sword like lightening, transforming it slowly into the figure of a dove. The little bird made of light flew up and perched neatly on the redhead's shoulder.

"Oh, why hello there," she cooed.

The dove cooed back, then set beady little sparkling eyes on the Raven woman and suddenly flew to attack her. Kraehe screamed under the little pecks from the Dove and put her hands over her head, slowly, slowly, slowly turning back into Rue. Finally, when the Raven woman had transformed fully back into Rue, the little bird looked over his handiwork and flew back to Princess Tutu's side. Rue, exhausted from the change and from the little Dove, collapsed. Princess Tutu, surprised at the power and also that her lady love was on the ground, turned back into Duck as the little girl ran to Rue. "Rue!"

The Dove had suddenly disappeared again, no where to be found, but no one paid attention to it (save Ernst) as Hanschen ran to Fakir and cradled his head in his lap, crying real tears as he tried everything he could to wake him up. Something in his actions made the very slow beating heart of the Knight pound faster and faster until Fakir could taste Hanschen's tears in his mouth and feel it on his skin and… dark eyes fluttered open. "Hanschen?"

"Fakir?"

Ernst tore his eyes from where the little Dove made of Light and Love went to a now conscious Fakir and Hanschen, who suddenly tore away from Fakir, "Uhm… hello Fakir… were you trying to sleep?" Hanschen asked, chuckling nervously as he picked himself up and dusted himself off.

Fakir's cheeks reddened as he sat up. Looking around, he noticed the sword was gone, "Why am I alive? Shouldn't I be a dove or something?" he asked, looking over at Duck and Rue.

"The Dove came and made Kraehe go away," Ernst replied, "And then he retreated to Duck's back when she turned back into herself…"

Duck blinked and turned to the black-haired boy, "What?"

"He went under your shirt," Ernst said, pointing. He went over to the girl, "Unbutton your shirt…"

"What?" Duck screeched.

"Please!" Ernst said, grabbing the back collar of her shirt.

Duck blushed, but began undoing the buttons. The others gathered around curiously as she revealed her back shoulders, keeping the edges of her front closed as they came dangerously close to showing her undergarments.

On her back was the black outline of a dove, almost perfectly white thanks to Duck's already pale skin.

'The Dove is a tattoo on your back in this form," Autor said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Duck snapped her shirt back over her shoulders and buttoned everything as quickly as she could. "Good to know," she replied, closing her eyes and blushing deeply.

Rue suddenly stirred, "Oh… god. I'm sorry…" she muttered.

"It's okay, Rue," Duck replied, "It was just the Jealousy of a story. Not you…" Duck moved a stray piece of hair from Rue face, "Come on, let's get you to your room…" she said, putting the exhausted brunette's arms over her shoulder and helping her up.

Ernst sighed, "I guess I _am_ part of the story," he muttered as he followed Ernst and the others back to the school. He wasn't really pleased with the discovery…


	8. Indian Ink

Chapter Eight: Indian Ink

Now that the original manuscript was found, Fakir and Hanschen hadn't much to do. Since the embarrassing moment of Hanschen cradling Fakir's head in his lap, the two hadn't spent much time together since that fateful day.

It had only been a week since then, but already Fakir was getting fidgety and itched for something to do. Kraehe hadn't shown her face since that first time, and it wasn't looking good for anyone. Hanschen was spending more time with Autor in the library, helping him with research on something entirely different. Rather, it had everything to do with the story, just a different aspect. How come Drosselmeyer's story was in motion and who exactly was this Drosselmeyer anyway?

"I think you've turned Hanschen into a research junkie," Rue quipped as she, Duck and Fakir sat out on the lawn, watching as Autor and Hanschen walked off toward the school library. Fakir looked on with only the tiniest hint of jealousy for his bespectacled friend.

"Poor Fakir. He still likes you more," Duck told him, rubbing his back.

Fakir blushed and grumbled something about 'just a mutual friendship' between the fair-haired boy and him, but Rue and Duck knew better. Since the Kraehe incident, Duck and Rue had become closer than ever, to the point of Duck often staying over at Rue's room rather than parting in the evening. But since they were in different ballet sections, they couldn't be inseparable.

* * *

Autor had five books out on the desk, and was just adding four more as Hanschen flipped through them, checking the indexes first. "Drosselmeyer's family tree?" he asked.

"Yup… I'm almost done mapping it… these are some newer records of Drosselmeyer and his decedents. Someone here in town is always updating these records," Autor replied.

"Are you hoping you are one of them?" Hanschen asked, "So you can stop the story we're in?"

"No… I just have an overbearing thirst for knowledge on the subject," Autor replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "A harmless little thing, but I do hope to meet this descendent and at least help to rewrite the story."

"Almost losing Fakir was… painful," Hanschen said, blushing lightly as he flipped to the page of Drosselmeyer's newest batch of descendents.

Autor sighed and nodded, "Yeah… but if it was anyone… it would have been the same, no? You've made a lot of good friends here since you came… right?"

Hanschen thought about it, then nodded. "I'm really… glad that Ernst made me stay here…"

"And I'm really glad he decided to. Without him, the story really wouldn't have moved into motion so quickly," Autor mused.

Hanschen then saw something, "Hey… wasn't Fakir's father named… Jakob?" he asked.

Autor blinked, "How did you know? Is one of Drosselmeyer's descendents… Fakir?"

"He mentioned his father's name was Jakob, and his uncle's name was Wilhelm. Wilhelm died right after his father's wedding to his mother, Anja, of Poland. And here it says that one of Drosselmeyer's descendents names was Jakob. Wilhelm's here too, but there's a 'd' and the date he died… Same year Fakir's uncle died!" Hanschen explained as Autor scuttled over to read over his shoulder.

"Fakir has… the gift! The gift to bring stories to life!" Autor said, gasping lightly.

Hanschen thought about it for a moment, "He… confided in me one night that… he had written a lot in his childhood… and the reason his father and mother died was because he wrote about some evil crows coming and destroying his family… He said it was like a bad dream, him writing this horrible stuff and then… the crows came and… his parents were killed. Because he wrote a story about it…"

"As if in a trance…" Autor said. "I remember seeing those crows flying to his house when I was younger. That's some spooky stuff…"

"He won't want to write anymore, Autor," Hanschen warned.

"Not without moral guidance. Hanschen, can you do me a favor?" Autor asked.

"I will not. After what happened last week? I can't even look him in the face…"

"You two share a room."

"I've been sleeping at the mill…"

"Fine, _I'll_ go then."

* * *

"No."

Autor sighed heavily at his friend's stubbornness. "But you have the power to stop this story. Hanschen," here Autor was given a genuine look of interest, "really worried about you when you sacrificed yourself for the story. He and I, and probably Rue and Duck, since they're Mytho's battling emotions, and maybe even Ernst and Mytho, we want the story to go away, and I think you're the only one who can set it right!"

For a pianist, Autor could make a motivational speech. Fakir's hand twitched as if it missed having a pen in it and he sighed, closing his eyes as his head turned toward the window. He looked out of it and saw Hanschen under a tree, reading a book. The girls were lying down, sprawled on the grass with eyes closed. Mytho sat cross-legged, watching as Ernst doodled in a small notebook.

"I'll do it. But you must be my moral guidance…" Fakir replied.

Autor smiled, "Let Hanschen be your moral light," Autor replied, "But you must know all you need about your predecessor, Drosselmeyer. That, I can help you with."

Fakir nodded. "All right. Then let's be on our way."

Autor obliged, leading the black-haired dancer out of the hallway of the ballet wing and over to the library.

* * *

"Straighten your leg, Ernst," Rue sighed, "I didn't want to become a Russian instructor, but I will have to smack you're knees with a stick at this rate. Sit down and rest, please."

Ernst sighed. Ever since this Kraehe/Tutu business, he had been getting distracted more easily, especially in class. He hoped it wasn't affecting his spot in the class, because Mytho and Rue danced just as well as they ever had, despite having gone through with his ordeal.

"All right, class, since Ernst is a little distracted, I think we're done for the day…" Rue said, a worried, motherly look on her face. She got like that more and more with Ernst and Mytho, not her jealous face with Ernst and her needy look with Mytho. But then again, she and Duck were getting closer.

She caught Ernst as he was tying his ballet shoes together and was putting a sweater over his leotard. "Is something the matter, darling?" she asked.

"The story…" Ernst replied.

"Duck told me that Autor had figured out that Fakir was a direct descendent of Drosselmeyer… He has a gift, I think," Mytho pointed out, coming up from behind them.

Ernst blinked, "So… Fakir is some sort of sorcerer?" he asked with big eyes.

"Anything's possible in Kinkan Town," Rue replied, "But you have to focus in class. Fakir and Autor will find a way to stop this story, and hopefully we won't have to deal with any more near-deaths."

She gave a slight glare at the aforementioned teen as he walked out the door. He noticed, gave her a look back, shrugged his shoulders, and took off, seeing Autor as he tapped his foot and glared at him.

Rue then gave Mytho a look, which told him to take the poor brunet home and let him rest and get his mind off of things. Mytho nodded and guided Ernst carefully out of the ballet building back to the dorms.

Before he left, Ernst saw something flash behind Rue's dark eyes, but thought nothing of it. Surely that wasn't anything bad, right?

* * *

Since Ernst and Mytho were in a separate class than Duck and Hanschen, they really didn't have schoolwork to finish in the dorms. On nights like these, Mytho would go practice ballet some more, but since he had regained most of his emotions, he had been sticking around the room more often than not.

Ernst hadn't thought anything odd about it, as he was busy figuring out what Fakir was doing in the library with Autor these last few days. "Research… what else is new?" he told Duck when she had asked.

But that night was different. That night Ernst had let Rue down at practice and he was tired of being so worried about his friends. Maybe if he left, took the train back north—just left it all behind.

But he realized something: There was nothing for him back there. Melchior was gone, Wendla and Moritz were dead, and… Mytho was _here_, and Ernst was part of his story. He wasn't allowed to leave just yet.

There was suddenly a hand on his shoulder and Ernst quickly looked up and into the amber-honey eyes of the Prince Siegfried, as he was known in the story.

"Are you okay, Ernst?" Mytho asked softly.

"I'm f-f-f-fine, My-Mytho. Honest," Ernst replied, trying to smile. It was difficult to muster even though Mytho was, I don't know, _touching him_.

"That's the first time Rue has called you out like that, but its been happening a lot. Is it because of… Fakir?" Mytho asked.

Ernst looked away quickly, "Did you see the look on Hanschen's face? He… He must really have strong feelings for Fakir. It's wonderful," Ernst said, a small, serene smile on his face.

Mytho was about to get jealous, but he was reminded that Kraehe wasn't around to affect him as badly. Besides, Ernst looked genuinely happy for Hanschen, despite how close Hanschen had kept him in the beginning, when the two had arrived to Kinkan Town. "Do you… still have feelings for him?" the young prince asked.

"Oh… uhm… no, Mytho. I don't," Ernst replied, flushing deeply. "My mamma said that I am very intuitive and I can sense romantic sparks between any two people but myself and another. I knew Hanschen was developing feelings for Fakir long before he did."

As he was speaking, Mytho circled around him quite innocently until, by the end of Ernst's story, he was standing in front of the pale brunet. He stepped closer to the other boy, and Ernst, noticing this, stood up from the chair and knocked it backward toward the wall.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you," Mytho asked, "Ernst?"

"Uhm… no. Yes. I've been a little jumpy this past week…" Ernst replied.

Mytho stepped closer, and Ernst found himself stuck between Mytho and a chair. "Uhm… do you need something, Mytho?" he asked shyly.

Mytho paused, his mouth nearly on Ernst's. "You," he replied softly before closing his eyes and gently pushing their lips together.

Many emotions swirled in Ernst' head. Mytho was _kissing_ him. Ernst didn't know how long he had wanted Mytho to kiss him, to put his arms around him like he was doing now. But then…

Ernst pushed him away, "You don't have the emotion of Love yet! H-How is this possible?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Mytho tried to grab at Ernst's shirt-sleeves, but he flinched away, closing his eyes tightly and swatting at Mytho like he was a fly and not the love of his life.

"I… I don't know," Mytho replied.

Ernst opened his eyes and pouted his lower lip a little before taking off: out of the room, down the hall, and into the courtyard.

"Thank goodness Rue still isn't ever you and Mytho becoming a thing…" a voice said from behind him.

Ernst spun around in his tracks, and came face to face (literally) with Princess Kraehe herself. "H-H-Hello, _Fraulein_ Kraehe…" Ernst said, caught off-guard.

She chuckled, then pouted her lips and circled Ernst hungrily as she wrapped her arms around him from the back. "Shame you only like boys," she said, squeezing Ernst's tiny torso tightly. "But you still will make a delicious hostage, and, who knows, perhaps the story will end if I actually wind up killing you…"

Something about the pheromones the raven princess was producing made Ernst's vision go hazy. The last thing he said saw was the fuzzy form of Mytho, looking almost like Prince Siegfried from the drawings in the story book and on the clock tower coming toward them and then… nothing.

"Kraehe!"

"Don't worry, Siegfried. I won't harm him until you find your precious Peasant again…"

"Kraehe! Ernst! ERNST!"

* * *

Mytho was too late. Princess Kraehe twirled, holding Ernst, _his_ Ernst, bridal style, and soon they had disappeared completely in a shower of black feathers and purple sparkles. "I'm… I'm sorry Ernst…" he said.

Then he remembered his friends.

"Fakir!"


	9. The Lady of the Lake

Chapter Nine: The Lady Of The Lake

Fakir was writing a cute story about a small rabbit, which appeared in his dorm room, and Duck and Autor were in the middle of cooing over it. Because he wasn't alone in the room with Fakir, Hanschen sat on his bed and looked over at the two playing with the rabbit longingly over his book. He didn't want to acknowledge Fakir's obvious mystical powers, since he was denouncing even the fact that he might be slightly in love with the black-haired dancer.

_The little rabbit nuzzled the redheaded maiden's fingers, sniffing for food…_ and the rabbit did.

Until it heard Mytho's fevered cry as he burst through the door. "Fakir!"

Fakir stood up quickly, quill dropping onto the page, "What's the matter, Mytho?"

"Kraehe… she…" Mytho panted, "…has Ernst!"

Hanschen put down his book and scrambled to the silver-haired boy as fast as he could, rumpling his painstakingly made bed as he did so, "What?"

"Kraehe has—"

"I heard that, Mytho!" Hanschen replied passionately.

"Why so worried, Hanschen?" Autor asked.

The aforementioned blond glared at the pianist bravely, willing himself not to cry, "I feel responsible for him. He's the one who made me stay and I… I am very grateful to him for that. He's been right all along about us staying and… god damn it, Mytho, why didn't you go after them?"

"She disappeared with her little magic abilities!" Mytho replied, his voice still soft-spoken despite his worried look and his reddening bottom lip (he had been biting it).

Fakir breathed in slowly. He felt responsible somehow. So he put his pen down on a new piece of paper and tried to write. Duck got up from Fakir's bed and looked over his shoulder. She noticed he was struggling.

"I… I can't do it. I can't get into anyone's head about finding and rescuing Ernst!" he cried after a few moments of the dreaded 'writer's block.'

Duck patted his back, "You tried your best, Fakir…"

Autor pushed his glasses up the side of his nose, "Ernst… isn't Kraehe your Jealousy? You think you would be able to feel her presence, whether it be near or far…"

"No… I can't. I never could. If I did… I would have warned him. Warned you all…" Mytho replied sadly.

Duck went up to him and put her hand on his back. He jumped, blushing slightly before he whispered, "Ernst…"

Autor smiled, "Duck's other is your Love. You felt her touch and thought of Ernst immediately, after thinking only of saving us from Kraehe…"

"Try to locate her, Mytho," Duck said softly… "Maybe with a piece of Tutu here, you can locate her… shall we try?"

Mytho nodded and put his head down, closing his eyes. Duck followed suit. As she did, though, that same waterfall of light came over her, and then the egg surrounded her, and then the gentle transformation into Princess Tutu. Mytho opened his eyes as Princess Tutu began to move toward the still open door. Mytho followed as if in a trance. Hanschen and Fakir looked at each other, then at Autor. They followed the two out into the dark, following a white engulfed Swan and her human vessel.

* * *

Fakir was surprised when he suddenly bumped into Hanschen's back. "Sorry…" he muttered, shaking himself back into the real world. The group had stopped in front of a lake.

"Oh dear," Princess Tutu voiced. She dipped her toes in the water and saw they sank into it rather than allowing to her to skim the surface. She gasped lightly, though, when not a drop of water seemed to follow her foot out of the crystalline depths. Mytho tried, and then Autor. Fair and Hanschen exchanged glanced.

"Princess Kraehe had a hand in this," Hanschen muttered, as if he knew.

"We're going to have to swim to the bottom," Fakir announced. "Fully clothed, but breathes held…"

The others seemed to trust the black-haired dancer's wisdom and sighed lightly, each looking at one another to see who would cave first. Each knew they had a slim chance of living.

Finally, Fakir breathed out and pushed pass the others to the edge of the cold lake. He sighed deeply, jumping headlong into the water. Mytho and Tutu, followed closely behind, and Hanschen was a gentleman as he let Autor go before him. Finally the blond boy breathed in, then out, then took one great breath and dove in after them all, hoping his swimming skills were up to par and that they would all live to save Ernst.

_For Ernst_, Hanschen thought meekly as he made his way into the dark, deep waters.


	10. The Swan and the Raven

Chapter Ten: The Swan and the Raven

The group survived. But just barely. Fakir had found an odd looking gap in the rock in the middle of the lake, and as the others followed, they discovered an underwater grotto. They surfaced, all gasping like fish, throwing their dry arms on the rock and sucking in the sweet air… even though the smell of the grotto was fowl.

Once they regained the air in their lungs they helped each other out of the water and went deeper into the cavern, Tutu as their sole light.

"Nice of you to join us," Kraehe's voice said as they approached a rather dim area in the cavern. There was what looked like a dead tree in the middle of the cave, and a pale light shone above it, the shadows of the water through the natural glass window above making the figure in the tree look eerie and pale. Ernst was in the tree, in what looked like a glass egg. From where they were standing, the group believed he was just sleeping, because of the peaceful contours on his face.

The glass egg was small, so Ernst was curled up, slightly limp in the joints, and there was a small film of water at his feet. It was slowly, painfully, rising up, though.

"When you surfaced, the water appeared," Kraehe told them proudly.

Fakir wanted to spit in her face, but Tutu had already walked forward, guided by the egg. She touched it, but it elicited no response from Ernst, nor did the egg open for her.

As she walked back, her head hung, the Dove appeared above her. He didn't do anything, just stared at Kraehe, waiting for his friend's orders. She looked over at Mytho, who was still shell-shocked at Ernst's state of being at the moment. Her heart went out to him, and the Dove finally flitted over to Mytho and turned into his sword.

"Oh no you don't…" Kraehe told them sweetly. "You cannot kill me or the Prince will never be saved. Nor will his precious Peasant ever live to see his wedding day…"

"He will see his wedding day," Mytho growled, lunging not toward the raven lady, but toward the egg. He tried to crack it open, but with every stroke, more water poured in from some unknown source.

Tutu had moved on to Kraehe. Kraehe simply smirked, "Your Dove friend seems to be preoccupied, Tutu," she commented lazily.

Tutu went up on her toes and touched her chest lightly where the necklace was, making a motion like she was releasing something. When she did, a dome of light encircled the two princesses. Spotlights hit them both, and Tutu began to dance. She danced a version of the Dance of the Swans from _Swan Lake_. Kraehe saw this is a challenge and soon began her own dance, the same moves, but the idea was to be more graceful than the other. The boys watched first the two birds, as they came to look like through the dome of light, and then at Mytho, who was blindly beating the glass egg that would not break.

Fakir suddenly turned on Hanschen, "Stop him. Every time he beats the egg more water comes in. At this rate, the egg will fill up and Ernst will die," he said to the blond.

Hanschen seemed frozen to the ground. Somehow, the spirits in the cavern knew that Ernst was Hanschen's best friend, and that he would somehow stop Mytho if he could. "I can't move, Fakir…" Hanschen whispered, "Believe me, I would go and stop Mytho if I could…"

Autor watched the two contemplatively. Finally, he said, "Snow White was under a spell when her prince kissed her. It helped Sleeping Beauty, too. True Love would have saved the Swan Princess, as well…"

Fakir and Hanschen looked at Autor, and he simply smiled in reply, turning his back on the two smugly. Fakir then turned to Hanschen, who blushed before he turned his head back to meet Fakir's eyes. They stood for a long time. The water was to the middle of Ernst's chest, and it was rising still.

Fakir finally sighed loudly before taking the front of Hanschen's uniform jacket and pushing their lips together firmly. There was a slight bell sound, and white light popped around Hanschen's feet, signaling the breaking of magical chains or something. Wordlessly, Hanschen pressed his lips against Fakir when they broke apart before running to Mytho to stop him from blindly hacking away and endangering Ernst further.

Autor had seen something when he turned around. As well as to give Fakir and Hanschen some space to do their thing, Autor had seen a strange gleam further into the cave, on the other side of their current activities. As he stared into the dark beyond everything, he saw it was a strange machine made of wood and bits of scrap metal. There was a feather on the table part of the machine, being guided by who-knows-what, writing feverishly. When Fakir got over his shock of being kissed back, Autor grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him in front of him toward the machine.

The dome around Princess Tutu and Princess Kraehe was deteriorating as both girls became exhausted and sore. Finally, the dome broke, making a loud shattering noise, like glass. Both girls had paused, panting slightly. But neither would back down.

The sword was deteriorating as well in Mytho's hands. Even before Hanschen grabbed his shoulder, the sword was deteriorating into little bits of light, reforming into the dove above them. Mytho stopped beating the egg to watch as the little dove made of light went to Tutu and pecked at the necklace around her neck. Wordlessly, Princess Tutu removed the jewel from the necklace, and it disappeared quickly in a burst of light, the dust flowing into Mytho. Mytho straightened himself to receive it, and a gentle song flowed into the group's ears, calling forth Kraehe's powers from her. A dark grey stream of dust flowed from Kraehe's heart and into Mytho's chest. Mytho simply blinked and touched his chest, looking down.

Tutu smiled at him as she slowly reverted back into Duck. Kraehe was slowly turning back into Rue, but once again she was so exhausted that she was weak kneed. But Duck went to her quickly, catching the older girl before she could fall and injure herself.

Mytho turned to the white egg and touched it. The egg mechanically wasted away into nothing, setting both Ernst and the water free. Ernst fell forward, but Mytho caught him. "Come on Ernst. It's all over. You're free."

But nothing happened. Mytho shook the smaller boy, and Hanschen finally checked his pulse through his wrist. Sadly, he looked at Mytho and shook his head.

Mytho put his head against Ernst's chest and began to cry. "No…" he said softly. "Oh no, no, Ernst," he moaned into the smaller boy's still chest. "I promised you you would see your wedding… I promised you…"


	11. Ever After

Chapter Eleven: Ever After

Autor looked over the papers that were under the current paper being written on by the quill.

"It's the story. Everything that is happening now is being written out…" Fakir growled.

"Drosselmeyer is still… writing," Autor replied. He shook his head, "What are we going to—"

He was cut off by Fakir grabbing the quill and crushing the machine as he did so. The machine seemed to rot away into nothing.

Autor blinked, "That was somewhat anticlimactic," he commented.

Fakir glared at him, "It doesn't matter anyway. Ernst is dead, and Mytho has no Peasant to live happily ever after with now…"

Rue's eyes were fluttering open slightly, and even as her eyes focused, she cried out, "Ernst! Oh goodness, my darling!" She struggled to stand, but she seemed too weak and fell back into Duck's arms.

"Ernst…" Mytho squeaked, the tears starting up in his eyes.

Fakir's heart broke to see his best friend acting this way, and he turned to the machine and gave it another kick to hasten the slow magical rotting process. As he did so, Ernst gasped softly, spitting up water and coughing heavily. Brown eyes opened slowly, and he smiled slightly, "Mytho… my… my Prince!"

"Ernst!" Mytho replied, his honey eyes surprised but very, very pleased. He held the other close to his body before Ernst pushed away slightly and quickly kissed his mouth in all his excitement, carefully nibbling on Mytho's bottom lip. He pulled away after a few seconds, both blushing extremely.

Duck had squealed when Ernst had coughed, which made Rue's eyes flutter open. She gave a tired smile to the two lip-locked teens before she fell back. Fakir smiled, gave one final kick to the machine, and their current surroundings melted away so that they were at the edge of the lake once more, still in the positions they had been in before Fakir had broken the blasted machine for the last time.

* * *

"Mytho, you can go home now…" Ernst said quietly.

As soon as they had gotten their bearings, Mytho and Fakir had taken Ernst to the infirmary, with Autor and Duck close behind, helping Rue into the bed next to Ernst. Before she collapsed, Rue cried and apologized many times before she fell asleep, still exhausted. Duck wouldn't leave her side. She had stayed a girl thanks to the Dove tattoo that still stayed on her back despite her powers as Princess Tutu safely in Mytho's heart again. She thought nothing of it, but Fakir and her had a cute little big brother/little sister relationship as Hanschen and Fakir were now an item.

There was a curtain in between Ernst and Rue, but every once and a while they would talk through the curtain about this and that, and Duck would chime in as well. Mytho never left Ernst's side, but it was all right because Fakir and Hanschen got them all meals and things. After three days of rest, Rue went home, but Ernst was under a lot of magical stress and still couldn't walk. Rue went home, and Ernst stayed, his legs magically paralyzed until he rested them more (or something like that).

"No I can't, Ernst," Mytho replied, a stubborn pout forming.

"And why not?" Ernst asked. He really didn't want to the other to leave him anytime soon, but it _was_ getting late, and Mytho, he was sure, would want to get some dancing in as he had decided to go to classes the next day.

"Because _you're_ not quite healed yet…" Mytho replied, tapping Ernst's nose.

Ernst made a mewling noise before he caught Mytho's lips before he could go back to sitting up straight. "My legs might not be healed all the way, but I can still do things like that…" he replied, grinning slyly.

"Yes you can," Mytho replied, not getting up from his position: hand on either side of Ernst's torso, their chests sandwiched together, even though Mytho's legs were twisted so he was still semi-seated on the bed next to his beloved Peasant. Ernst was lying on his back, sitting up thanks to a couple of infirmary pillows.

Ernst put his arms around the other boy and placed their bodies closer, if they could. "Don't go," he whispered, obvious need for the other boy's presence lurking behind his words.

Mytho laughed, "You just told me that I could…"

"I said you could, but I don't necessarily want you to," Ernst replied, eyes drooping slightly.

Mytho shook his head, "If you want to go to sleep, unhand me and I'll go sit in that chair over there," he said, looking over at the chair that had moved itself (it seemed) to Ernst's bedside.

"No…." Ernst whined a little bit. "Sleep with me tonight?"

Mytho blushed, "Ernst!"

"I'll be a perfect gentleman, Mytho, I promise," Ernst replied, pushing the covers away a little with his elbow.

Mytho sighed exasperatedly and moved so that he was under the covers, Ernst painfully moved over, wincing slightly. His face returned slightly as they settled under the covers together, still holding each other close. Ernst covered his mouth as he yawned, and soon he fell asleep, head tilted forward on Mytho's chest. The Prince looked down at his Peasant and sighed contentedly, closing his eyes and resting his chin on the top of Ernst's soft black hair.


	12. Where The Figs Lie

Chapter Twelve: Where The Figs Lie

NOTE: This alludes to sex. The author would still like to announce this chapter is for MATURE audiences, even though the writing itself isn't graphic. Thank you for your time! Enjoy the last chapter of _Your Fairytale_!

Autor and Fakir were working. Well, Autor had helped Fakir plan out a fairy-tale that wouldn't get him killed and was just finishing up when Hanschen got back from his beginning ballet class. Fakir had taken himself out of the ballet program and had placed himself in the drama program, where he mostly took classes in playwriting. He did miss dancing, but he wanted to further his writing techniques and actually benefit the town.

Not much had changed around the town. There were still talking animals and magic lurking around every corner. Fakir wouldn't have it any other way, of course, but he did have to write optimistic stories, mostly. He couldn't write out any of the crime or weird happenings in the town, but that was better left to the police and detectives anyway.

No, Fakir was just writing normal stories, mostly about newcomers to Kinkan town, and animals in the forest. After what had happened to him and his friends, he was just fine with mellow children stories and plays.

Autor was just opening the door as Hanschen returned, looking quite put off by the bespectacled boy's presence. He had been acting strangely for a good week after the incidents in the grotto, especially when he was around Fakir. They had kissed each other (twice, even!) and there was something still unspoken between them.

"I was just leaving, Hanschen," Autor said, a little twinkle in his eyes, "Fakir's all yours."

Hanschen blushed only a little as he watched the dark-haired musician walk away. He closed the door and looked over at Fakir, who smirked at the exchange and went to go back to his writing. Even though they lived in the same dorm, Hanschen and Fakir hadn't spoken much since the Grotto Incident. Fakir had been writing, and Hanschen had been hanging out with Rue and Duck or practicing alone. Duck and Rue had had enough of Fakir and Hanschen's dance around each other, as all couples often did, and had sent him home.

"If you don't tell Fakir, he's gonna think you don't love him anymore and settle for someone else!" Duck had said before shoving him down the hall to the boys' dorms. Hanschen had thought about going to Ernst and Mytho's room, but upon knocking (Ernst had been discharged a few days prior), they hadn't been in. Hanschen had shrugged it off, sighed, and gone down the hall to his own room, finally.

"Uhm…" Hanschen mused.

Fakir turned back to him, "What is it, Hanschen?"

Hanschen looked off to the side, trying to regain his composure. He stepped closer to Fakir's chair and took both his hands, pulling the other on to his feet. Fakir's face flushed, but his face stayed boyishly stoic as he trained his eyes on Hanschen's features. "I… uhh…" Hanschen started.

"Yes?" Fakir asked, his heart beginning to beat abnormally fast.

"I… you… I…" Hanschen swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut, "I love you!"

Slowly, painfully, almost, Hanschen opened his pretty blue eyes and looked at Fakir face. Fakir's lips and twisted up into a slight smile, and he sighed, "Took you long enough, Hanschen," he replied, kissing the other hastily. "I love you too. You above everyone else…"

Hanschen blinked and smirked, "Really?" he asked.

"Really," Fakir replied, matching Hanschen's look almost to a tee.

Hanschen threw his arms around Fakir's neck, pulling their lips together once more. A few moments later, Fakir felt Hanschen's tongue caress his lips. He shook his head, pulling away, "Oh no. I know you're use to dominating, but I think it's my turn," and he pushed their lips together before Hanschen could protest. The force of the kiss pushed Hanschen back onto Fakir's bed, making the blond gasp out of the kiss.

"So we're really going to this?"

"It's a cloudy day, no rain, but no one will want to go outside for a while… besides. Autor has a rehearsal to get to that will go late, Ernst and Mytho are out, and the girls have wanted this to happen since we met," Fakir replied, still smirking. He put his knee in between the other's legs and pushed up against Hanschen's groin.

"Oh! Fakir!" Hanschen hissed, eyes rolling back in to his head a little.

"Mmmm…" Fakir replied, before going in for another kiss. He then snaked his fingers through the other boy's uniform buttons, unhooking the button and zipper almost expertly.

Hanschen broke the kiss, "You've been writing a novel about this in your head, haven't you?" Fakir's hand found its way to his member, and Hanschen was at once silenced by Fakir's lips on his own. He never actually got his answer, either.

* * *

Mytho wasn't sure where Ernst was. After being discharged, Ernst was sleepier, and he still walked with a slight limp. So Mytho was worried when he couldn't find Ernst in his usual places. Ernst himself had lost all ability to dance, and after getting heartbroken about it, had decided to switch out of the ballet program to be tutored by Autor in the piano. "It's all right. We all took lessons in piano when we were in music class in primary school back in our old town… Georg's parents forced him to continue lessons, but my father would have nothing of that," he had told the bespectacled male, smiling.

Autor had simply ruffled his hair, "I'll tutor you until the next semester starts, but by then we'll have enrolled you in the program… the music, dance and drama programs come together during the summer to put on a new play… So we'll see the others quite soon."

So it happened the Ernst had transferred out already, as the spring semester started. They had found out that Fakir was to write the play, and that many dancers and musicians were needed. Ernst was working hard so that he could perform with his dear Mytho.

Despite all this, Mytho wanted to spend time with his self-proclaimed boyfriend, but the black-haired boy was nowhere to be found.

"Well… do you have any idea where he might have gone off to?" Duck had asked.

Mytho thought about it, "It's spring. Would the vineyards be open?" he asked.

"They opened last week," Rue replied, "They've been flowering the past two days, so I told Ernst about it, thinking he would be interested."

So that's where the silver-haired boy was headed on such a beautiful spring day. The fact that he was correct to look in the vineyards didn't surprise him at all, now that he thought about it. He knew for a fact that Ernst loved grapes, but he liked being outside even more, especially since he couldn't be active in ballet or even drama anymore.

"Can I join you?" Mytho asked, spotting the black-haired boy among the flowering vines.

Ernst glanced behind him at the silver-haired boy and smiled, "I would deny the _world_ to you, Mytho," he replied.

Mytho sat down, "I don't want the world. I just want to sit next to you on a beautiful spring day."

They were quiet for a moment, but it wasn't awkward. Instead, it was quite comfortable. Ernst leaned back into Mytho, who put his arms around the smaller boy's chest and put his head on top of Ernst's. Ernst closed his eyes and sighed, "I don't get to spend much time with you anymore. You're in class, and then when you come home, I always have to get to _my_ class…"

"How do you handle _that_?" Mytho asked.

"It's been difficult," the black-haired boy replied.

Another lapse into silence happened then. The wind whispered through the leaves, and Mytho closed his eyes to listen. Ernst's eyes opened after a few moments and he moved his head slightly to look up at Mytho. Mytho felt the movement and opened his honey-amber eyes to glance at Ernst. Ernst blinked, but there was a magnetic attraction in the two boys' faces or something, because Mytho came down to kiss Ernst. But this time he didn't break off after a few moments.

Ernst pressed upward, actually, forcing Mytho's head in place for a couple of minutes. They had to break away for air, but Mytho turned his body so that he was in front of Ernst on his hands and knees. He kissed Ernst again, forcing the black-haired boy onto his back among the grass. Ernst's arms went around Mytho's neck, unaware of Mytho's hands until—

"Ah!" Ernst said, breaking off.

Mytho didn't get the hint and tried to kiss Ernst again. Ernst shied away, instead looking down at the placement of Mytho's hand, which rested with his thumb dangerously close to Ernst's groin area, his other fingers splayed, clutching at his hip and thigh. Mytho looked where Ernst looked and took his hand away, "Oh, sorry," he said.

Ernst glanced up and shook his head, catching Mytho's hand before it could move any further away. He placed it back where it had been resting and pulled Mytho down into another kiss before he said, "It was bound to happen, anyway…"

Mytho's eyebrows rose, and he smirked a little into his next kiss, moving his hand from clutching at Ernst's hip and thigh to boldly cupping his boyfriend's groin area. Ernst's gasped as little, a blush forming across his nose and cheeks.

Mytho grinned boyishly, "That's only an invitation for me to take you…"

Ernst gulped and nodded, "Then… then take me, Mytho…"

A finger snaked over the slight bulge in Ernst's pants, and soon the button and zipper of both Ernst's and Mytho's pants had been undone. "As you wish, my love," Mytho replied, straddling the smaller boy as he pulled down Ernst's pants so slowly it was almost antagonizing to the other teen…


End file.
